


An Uneasy Treaty

by Paisho13



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: A vulcan-romulan-earth treaty happens in the background, Alternate Universe, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Rating May Change, Sam is an ambassador, Slow Burn, T'hy'la
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-01
Updated: 2019-02-20
Packaged: 2019-11-01 07:30:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17863004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paisho13/pseuds/Paisho13
Summary: Or How Jim Uncovers Vulcan State Secrets While He's On Vacation.Jim, eager to experience space travel, convinces his brother to bring him on his first assignment as an Earth ambassador to Vulcan. Sam needs to convince Vulcans and Romulans to work together, but Jim spends his time exploring the planet and his mysterious connection to a particular Vulcan.





	An Uneasy Treaty

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter is mostly introduction, the plot will really start up next chapter. 
> 
> For context, this is an AU in which Sam is an Earth ambassador, Jim just wants to travel in space (maybe with Starfleet someday?), and the Vulcans are tight-lipped hobgoblins.

Jim could hardly believe he was on Vulcan. He had needled Sam for months before he had agreed that Jim could come with him on his first mission to Vulcan as the ambassador of Earth. The Vulcans, along with the Romulans, and Terrans would be forming a treaty regarding M-Class interplanetary trade routes in the Alpha Quadrant in order to attempt to control the recent upticks in space piracy. So ambassadors, as well some politicians, had been funneling onto Vulcan for weeks in preparation for the talks. However, Jim, as the younger brother to the ambassador, was only coming along for the ride. It had been stressed to him that he would only be allowed to participate in the variety of cultural events that had been planned for the visiting dignitaries and their companions.

After quickly going through the motions of greeting the Vulcan landing party, Jim had abandoned his brother to his duties as ambassador and walked off in an effort to take in his new surroundings. It was sweltering. It was so hot in the direct sunlight that after five minutes Jim was drenched in sweat and panting, but the view was worth the heat. He stood facing away from ShiKahr, at the edge of a great divide. Deep cracks ran through the ground and a thin layer of something sandy covered the red earth for miles. Every so often steam would hiss out of the cracks like boiling water in a tea kettle.

"Jim!", his brother shouted, "Come on we have to get going!"

Jim turned around and walked back fast. If there was one thing he knew about Vulcans it was that they disliked inefficiency and nothing said inefficient like standing around admiring a view.

It took them an hour to reach ShiKahr by hovercar. Vulcan’s largest city looked like it was made of stone that had simply grown upwards rather than being manufactured by Vulcan hands. Jim was amazed, previously the largest city he had ever been to was San Francisco visiting Sam during breaks, but ShiKahr was easily three times as big or at least appeared to be.

Sam stood next to him facing the window of the hovercar.

“You went through the briefings right?”Sam asked. Jim grinned at his brother.

“Don’t worry Sam, I won’t cause any trouble.”

“That’s what you always say”, Sam gave him a pointed look and sighed, “Look just remember not to touch them and definitely don’t snoop around, this treaty is going to be hectic enough without you poking your fingers where they don’t belong.”

Jim bit his lip, he knew Sam had a point. He had always been an active kid and usually nosed his way into situations that got him in even more trouble. Jim felt his enthusiasm fade. Sam had practically raised him after their dad died and he knew that the ways he had acted out had hurt him. 

“Look, Sam, I know how much this means to you okay? I’m not gonna be the one to mess this up for you.”, he patted his brother’s shoulder and grinned. “Besides how much trouble could I get into, I basically have to follow you around the entire time.”

Sam smiled sarcastically. “Wow Jim, and here I’d thought you’d never stop being a rebellious teen!” Jim rolled his eyes. He had turned nineteen seven months ago and Sam hadn’t let him forget that he was supposedly an adult now.

“Whatever, Sam, we’re here let’s just get going.”

 

The hovercar had stopped just outside the circular stone wall that surrounded the city. As it had been explained to Jim, from this point on they would take a footpath, as no hovercrafts were permitted inside the city, and walk to the Old Quarter were the Vulcan High Council would greet them in their public hall. As Jim walked out into the open, heat swelled back around him. Unfortunately, Vulcan had very little wind so there was no respite sweltering mid-afternoon, or as close to as Jim could tell, sun.

Jim felt his excitement return full-force. The stone wall that surrounded the city was not so much a wall as much as it was a well. It was a part of ShiKahr’s complicated irrigation system that allowed the inhabitants of the city easy access to fresh water on the nearly barren desert planet. Technologically and visually it was a masterpiece, Vulcan had given Earth the plans years ago and replicas of the system had been built in the dryest of Earth's deserts. Still, Jim thought, the ones in Death Valley paled in comparison. At several points, entrances to the city split the wall up. The paths themselves were polished yellow sandstone and reminded Jim of the Wizard of Oz, an old 20th-century story that he liked as a kid.

Their straight-faced Vulcan tour guide, who Jim had been calling Bowl Cut in his head, lead their group into the city. Sam and his fiancé Aurelan followed close behind in order to listen to the Vulcan’s monotone explanation of the city’s layout and Jim walked a few paces behind catching a few words here and there, but mostly taking his time and enjoying the scenery. The rest of their party, a few officers and some lower ranking Starfleet personnel followed behind slowly, wide-eyed at their new surroundings.

ShiKahr was arranged in a series of ever smaller circles, the irrigation wall outlined the largest. Just inside that was a large circle of land being used to grow a majority of ShiKahr’s food and further inside that was the city itself.

Jim hummed to himself as they walked through the farms. Most of the plants were roots, like carrots or potatoes on Earth, so the tracks of land were fairly flat, but occasionally tall cactus-like plants broke up the view. They continued along the path for another fifteen minutes or so until taller buildings and more shining paths began to appear.

Jim picked up the pace to catch what their guide was saying about this section of the city.

“-ntering the Artists’ Quarters. It is where one will find the musicians’ halls and galleries. Beyond this are the Old Quarters, built during the Time of Surak and where we will meet the Elders.”

Jim leaned over and whispered to Sam, “Who are we staying with again?”

“Sarek and his family, T’Pau is their matriarch, Sarek is a Vulcan ambassador to Earth and her son. His wife is Amanda Grayson.”, He whispered back. The Vulcans had decided that the delegates and ambassadors from Romulus and Earth would stay with Elder families in an effort to encourage cultural exchange, IDIC and all that, and, no doubt, to keep an eye on the foreigners during their stay of undetermined length.

The buildings of the Artists’ Quarters quickly gave way to Old Quarter buildings, which were not only obviously older in appearance but the doorways were also inscribed with Surak’s teachings. Their guide led them to an intimidating Surak-era building with wide double doors which opened as they approached.

A group of elderly Vulcans stood just inside the doorway. As soon as their group crossed the threshold a female Vulcan standing at the front of the group walked towards them with her hand in the traditional ta’al.

“Dif-tor heh smusma, terra kevet-dutar heh best.”, she said.

Sam threw up a perfect ta’al and said, “Sochya eh dif, T’Pau heh pid shikh-orna kisau.”

“Thee has studied well.”, T’Pau replied.

“Thank you. This is my fiancé Aurelan and my brother Jim.”

Jim smiled and put his hand up in the ta’al and could see Aurelan doing the same out of the corner of his eye. T’Pau nodded slightly.

“Very well, Samuel, my assistant, T’Per, will lead thee and thine companions to the estates of my House. We will reconvene once you have had appropriate time to settle in.”, said T’Pau. She then. Rejoined the High Council, nodded once, and led the group to the High Council’s inner chambers, inaccessible to off-worlders.

Jim looked over at Aurelan and raised his eyebrows, “They’re a serious bunch.”

Aurelan smiled, “At least we don’t have to spend all day negotiating with them, we can just enjoy the scenery.”

Jim nodded his head, they would certainly be doing a lot of R&E taking in Vulcan and its culture. Then, presumably T’Per, assistant of T’Pau, approached their group.

“Dif-tor heh smusma.”, she said, “I am T’Per, I will accompany you to T’Pau’s estates.”

Their group greeted her politely. Then they walked twenty minutes across the city in silence, due to tiredness on the humans’ part, to T’Pau’s home. The estate was large and sat perfectly on the border of city and farm. The main building was in the shape of a honeycomb and seemingly made of solid rock, but had intricate carvings of Surakian knowledge. However, set slightly away from the main house, there were a smattering of smaller buildings that looked like large greenhouses. T’Per motioned to keep moving and lead them into the main building.

**Author's Note:**

> The exchange between Sam and T'Pau:
> 
> "Live long and prosper, Earth ambassador and companions."
> 
> "Peace and long life, T’Pau and High Council." 
> 
> Thanks for reading! I plan to have the next chapter out by next Friday and there'll probably be some more familiar faces. :)
> 
> Come talk to me at:
> 
> http://tyrannusbasiltongrimmpitch13.tumblr.com/


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